How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable, so condescending unnecessarily critical.

I have the tendency of getting very physical, so watch your step 'cause if I do you'll need a miracle.

Zuko was trying to meditate, trying was the key word, Katara's words ringing in his ears. "Listen, scar boy! You can't be so hard on Aang, he's just a kid! Stop acting like a drill sargent!" "Are you sure you're doing that right? Zuko make sure you're teaching Aang right!" "Zuko you hit Aang! What did the urge to capture him get too great!?"

His fist clenched tightly, no matter what he did Katara found a way to make to criticize and make his life hell. He apologized, he did everything he could, he helped her with chores and she still hated him! He knew he screwed up in the Earth Kingdom, that he could easily accept and admit. On another note, he did have intell from the Fire Kingdom, so it was kind of helpful in a backwards sense. (Sokka's words, not his.)

He hated how his thoughts were lingering on Katara, her hate filled glare rivaled his, sometimes he wondered if she had any Firebender in her. She had a temper and a grudge to match any Firebender, that much was certain. Yet she was also carring and nice, to any one but "The Fire Nation Scum." (Katara's words, not his.)

He was content to sit there and brood, allowing any steam to escape his nose so as not to take out his anger on her. He really didn't want to hurt her, no matter how much she tried her very best to knock him down and kick him. He was going to be the better person-as strange as that sounded-he would not engage in a sensless fight as long as she didn't provoke him.

His distantly angery mood was turned even more sour when the door opened to his room, the setting sun's light flooding the room and his closed eye. Sighing he knew very few entered, mainly Toph, he had to admit, if he could have chosen a sister, he would have chose Toph. She didn't judge him, though she had the right, he was Fire Nation, he should be hated and reviled.

Instead she told him, "ya said you're sorry right? Eh, we all do things we aren't proud of, every Nation has its good and bad points. Fire Nation just got handed the short end of the stick." To say he was surprised was an understatement, he expected something like that coming from Katara, not Toph. But she was like a little sister and he felt he owed her for burning her feet.

"Toph, if Aang's not on fire and the Fire Nation isn't here, let me be." He waited for a sarcastic reply, and the closing of the door, instead the door remained open and the silence worn on. Knowing that wasn't like Toph he opened his eyes and almost fell backwards hitting his bed, to see Katara standing in the doorway with her arms crossed looking to the left away from him.

"Ka-Katara?" Zuko asked stunned, because Katara only entered his room once to threaten him, a brief thought was maybe she was here to apologizes. But when she looked at him he could see a hidden hate and something else, so that was a no on apologizing, of course it was, he didn't deserve a apologie.

Katara bit her lip, she didn't want to be the one here, she was still pissed and she felt she had a right. But everyone was eating and no one wanted to move, so it was up to her. "Supper's done, come eat," her tone was clipped and she glared as he rolled his eyes at her.

Zuko waved his hand at her, he wasn't really hungry, "I'm not hungry, Katara." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, content to meditate, "go back and eat, I'll get something to eat later."

Katara placed her hands on her waist, he was dismissing her? Oh hell no, this was not his palace, he was going to eat what she served now or so help her. She knew her anger at him wasn't just his betrayal, it was something else if only she could find it! Walking up to him Katara did something brave and stupid, she whacked him upside the head. It wasn't a gentle whack, she put all her force into it, causing him to tilt forward and hold his head, his eyes wide.

"Listen here, Prince." She said his title with contempt, glaring at him while he seemed in a daze, "I made supper and you are going to eat it now, you have no choice!" She wasn't scared of him, Katara stood her ground as he stood up, glaring back at her, steam coming from his ears.

He scowled and glared back at the Waterbender, his anger was close to coming out of control, "do you want a fight, peasant?" Zuko growled out, his anger was clear from the way he spat out the word peasant.

If Katara was surpised from the old nickname-if one could even call it that-she didn't show it. Instead she bended some water from her container, letting the water incase her hands as she stood straight, saying in a low tone. "Do you, prince?" Maybe a fight was what she needed, against a bender who was at her skill level, (Aang not included.)

Zuko stood up slowly and walked to her, standing a foot away, staring into her clear blue eyes. If it was a fight she wanted, he would give it too her, his fist glowing with fire. "Watch what you want, peasant," Zuko growled, unable to help the building anger.

Maybe a fight would help them, maybe they would be able to settled their differences after fighting out the tension and anger...Or, they'd just end up horribly burnt, soaked and injured, either way the two benders were not backing down.

When it gets cold outside, and ya got nobody to love.
You'll understand what I mean when I say, there's no way we're gonna give up.
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams.
Is there anyone out there? 'Cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe.

The "Gaang" were enjoying a peaceful supper, no one really noticed that Katara had yet to show up with Zuko and everyone was peacefully eating their soup. Until a distint boom of fire sounded from the hallway to their rooms, the group stood up and watched with wide eyes (excluding Toph), to see Zuko and Katara coming out of the hallway fighting.

Fire and water were crashing together as the two ran off to the upper level where grass was, still fighting. Before Aang and Sokka could go after them, Toph secured their feat to the ground with her bending.

Aang unleased himself, grinning, only for Toph to stop him again, "Toph..." He whined, while Sokka was busy hacking at the rock with his boomerange. "We have to go stop them they-"

"Cool it, Twinkle Toes." The girl said cooly, going back to her soup. After taking a long sip of it, she didn't truly know the two boys were looking at her, waiting to know why she stopped them.

"Those two have been at each other's throat, let 'em work this out for themselves." Toph told them, she could feel the tension and anger those two directed at each other, it was time they fought it out. (Or they'd end up doing something Toph really didn't wanna think about.)

Sokka sighed, but nodded reluctantly as he sat down, maybe Toph was right, those two had been fighting a bit much. Besides, Katara could take care of herself, obviously Aang shared his thoughts because he also sat down and removed the rock encasing their feet.

"Alright Toph, you win," Sokka said as he dug back into his soup, continuing speaking inbetween bites, "I just hope they settle, whatever it is!"

Does it kill? Does it burn?
Is it painful to learn, that it's me that has all the control?

When the two reached the grassy area above the Westren Airtemple, the two's fighting did not stop, but changed. The scorning fire, somehow turned into scorning caresses, the cooling water turning into drowing kisses.

The mad urge to fight, turned into the urge to remove the articals of clothing they wore, soon the two teenagers were rolling the grass, each reluctant to give up control as they kissed, touched, urged, tore and fought.

Zuko wasn't sure how they ended up like this, with Katara beneath him as he ripped away her dress, the damn thing did not want to give way. There were many reason's why they should stop, they were in the middle of a war, a war. There was no time for anything like this, no time for relationships or anything like this, but yet he could bring himself to pull back, it was the last thing he'd ever do.

As he kissed a trail down her neck, leaving marks she would find in the morning, her hands gripped his unruly hair as she moaned breathlessly. "I hate you," before yanking him up and devouring his mouth, groaning he pulled back and stared at her, his hands going down past her waist to grip her hips as he whispered. "I hate you more."

In the morning when Zuko's sanity returned, he could honestly admit to himself he meant the opposite. As much as it was stupid to feel such, it was the truth, though he would likely die before saying it outloud. He could also honestly admit, he had not clue if Katara had meant it or something else.